Given the following Ions: BrCl5 CO32-

Question

Given the following Ions: BrCl5 CO32-

a) Draw all the possible Lewis structures for the following ions.

b) Assign formal charges to each atom in each resonance structure

c) indicate the most plausible Lewis structure.

d) Indicate the approximate bond angles for each ion

e) determine the names for the molecular geometry. 

Answer 1

Without using the video it is very difficult to draw anything on the Wyzant platform. I will do as I've done for others and do my best to describe the Lewis structure so you can draw it.

(a). BrCl₅ has 42 valence electrons.

Place Br is the center with 5 Cl atoms around it. Place 3 lone pairs of electrons on each Cl atom and 1 lone pair on the center Br atom.

(b). All atoms have a formal charge of zero

(c). This is the most plausible Lewis structure. The Cl atoms all have an octet and even though Br has more than an octet, it is capable of having an expanded octet.

(d). bond angle would be approximately 90º

(e). molecular geometry would be square pyramidal

(a). CO₃^2- has 24 valence electrons.

Place C in the center with 3 O atoms attached. One O will have a double bond and 2 lone pairs of electrons on it. The other 2 O atoms will be singly bonded to C and each will have 3 lone pairs of electrons on it. This represents ONE possible Lewis structure. There are two others. Simply move the double bond to each of the other O atoms and remember that the double bonded O has 2 lone pairs and the other O atoms have 3 lone pairs. Put these in brackets [ ] with a 2- sign outside. These are the 3 possible Lewis structures.

(b). The formal charge on C is zero in all three structures. The formal charge on the O that is double bonded is also zero. The formal charges on the other 2 O atoms (the single bonded ones) are -1 each.

(c). All three Lewis structures are equally plausible.

(d). bond angle would be approximately 120º

(e). molecular geometry would be trigonal planar